autumn raspberry

sweet, tiny fruit

we barely knew you.

autumn came all too soon

and you

fell

unripened.

~

The wind came, wild and cold

and helped us mourn you:

We took you,

in the darkest of nights

with us to the lake.

The waves pounded the shore

the gale pushed back against us

as if all the entirety of the elements had come

to witness the ceremony.

we held you in the palm of our hands

while the winds blew fiercely

and our fingers went numb as we ran out of matches trying to light incense in the wildness.

I guess you didn’t want incense

the wind and waves and darkness were ritual enough.

The waves crashed against the shore and white spray went everywhere,

over us, over you,

baptizing all of us, a family: a very brief family.

~

little one.

we kissed you goodbye

and with all our strength and love

sent you flying out into the night

into the wildness.

All life has meaning.

Even the briefest whisper of life that was yours

gave us motherhood.